


The consequences of badly thought out valentine cards

by Captain_Snark



Series: The valentine debacle [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry tries to keep a secret, M/M, Pre-Relationship, sequel to my valentine's fic, surprisingly few puns, that has never gone very well for him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 15:24:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6120862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Snark/pseuds/Captain_Snark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry should know by now he can't keep secrets. Iris and Cisco are determined to find out just who sent Barry a valentine's card. Barry's determined to take it to his grave. Things have a way to not go as Barry plans them.</p><p>In which everyone wants to know. Barry knows. Len knows. Lisa knows. And valentine cards should probably not cause this much trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The consequences of badly thought out valentine cards

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow I wrote a sequel to my valentine fic. Reading that isn't necessary to get what's going on, so no worries. Also I probably could have proofread this better, but it's 2 am and I decided to write this so there's that.

In retrospect, Barry should have known the whole valentine card thing would come back to bite him in the ass. Honestly, he should even have expected things to blow up in his face sooner than they did. If he has proven anything since becoming the Flash, it’s that’s keeping secrets never ends well.

Iris and Cisco have been haunting him for weeks now. They would be bugging him 24/7 if they could, because _‘I have a right to know, Barry’_ and _‘This person knows you’re the Flash, that makes it my business’_.

Iris has so far tried: bribing him with coffee, bribing him with pizza, blackmailing him, threatened to tell everyone about that time the FBI showed up to confiscate his science project and threatened to write a scathing article on why the Flash is a no-good best friend.

Cisco has basically adapted the same tactics. The only difference being he threatened to tell everyone about embarrassing early Flash stories. He even threatened to have Iris interview him and reminisce about that time he ran up a tree to save a cat and ended up flat on his ass with a cat clawing his face off.

When Cisco offers to devote himself to making his high-calorie bars actually not taste like shit, Barry almost cracks. Almost. It’s more a statement on how badly the bars suck than on Barry’s resolve to keep his _‘secret admirer’_ an actual secret.

Barry is most definitely never telling them who the card is from. No way. He’d rather have Oliver train him again and shoot him with a bunch of arrows than tell them that Leonard freaking Snart, Captain Cold, broke into his house and left him a valentine’s card. It really does sound like the better option.

There’s also no way he’s ever telling them he actually flashed into Snart’s safe house to drop off his own card. It’s a miracle Iris hasn’t used her reporter skills yet to find that out.

Then again, the only thing she can work her reporter skills on is a red valentine card with the Flash symbol saying _‘You make my heart race’_ and the words _‘Hope you’re not tired, Scarlet. Because you’ve been running through my mind all day. ;)’_ written inside.

It doesn’t help that Caitlin gets wind of the valentine debacle. Yes Barry has resorted to calling it a debacle at this point. Caitlin even decides to run tests on the card to somehow determine who it’s from. Thank God Snart seems to leave as little evidence on cards as he does on crime scenes.

Barry should definitely have a talk with Cisco on professionalism. His ‘love life’, as Cisco calls it, should not be discussed while fighting crime.

When even Harry finds out, Barry should just thank whatever divine power is out there that Iris has managed to keep this from Joe. The strange thing is that Harry sends him this knowing look after examining the handwriting on the card. If he knows, Barry’s thankful he doesn’t share with the rest of the class.

Everything goes south two weeks after valentine. Iris and Cisco are doing their damned bests to somehow make him slip up and spill the beans. Caitlin has recruited Jay to help her make Flash proof alcohol and get Barry drunk enough to finally talk. And Barry’s sure Harry’s just about done with all of them and about to tell them who sent the card when an alarm goes off.

The Rogues are pulling a heist and Barry is almost a little too thankful for the interruption as he zips off to stop them. If anyone notices, well, he can’t really find it in him to care. He pointedly ignores Cisco on the coms.

-

When he arrives at the scene, he’s greeted by two smirking Snarts, each holding a bag full of loot. He knows Heatwave’s not far off as some parts of the building look suspiciously more burned than others.

“Flash! Just in time to see us off!” Snart shouts, gun now in hand and aiming in Barry’s direction.

“You’re not going anywhere Cold,” Barry replies.

“I’m afraid I can’t stick around, Flash.”

“But I’m sure you can find the time to drop by for some quality time later, Flash,” Lisa adds with a wink and a knowing look in her eye. It’s about the last thing he needs right now.

Barry’s face does most certainly not become the same colour as his suit. It just does not. When Cold’s smirk grows twice the size, however, he’s definitely blushing. If having a face as red as a lobster can still be called just blushing.

“Barry, is Lisa Snart flirting with you?” Cisco’s voice sounds confused as hell.

_Oh. Shit._

Which are the exact words that pop into his brain not two seconds later when he hears the heat gun wiring up to fire and he manages to dodge just in time. Which results in him slipping on a stroke of ice that Cold must have made earlier.

Slipping on ice at superspeed is not a pleasant experience and Barry needs a moment to realize just what has happened. When he manages to get back up Snart is halfway to the exit, Heatwave and Lisa ahead of him with their part of the loot.

“Always nice seeing you, Scarlet,” he drawls as he makes his escape.

Barry’s about to go after him when there’s a loud screech in his ears. He’s not completely sure how any human being can make that noise, but apparently Cisco has more latent superhuman abilities.

“BARRY ALLEN DID CAPTAIN COLD SEND YOU THAT VALENTINE’S CARD?!”

He freezes. Which is ironic because at this point cold’s long gone and the cold gun nowhere in sight.

“No?” It takes him just a second too long to reply and Barry did not mean to sound as unsure as he did.

A second later Iris has taken over the coms and demanding he get his ass back to STAR Labs. Barry is doomed. This is it. This is how the Flash dies. Somebody inform Jitters to cancel their Flash coffee because Barry Allen is a dead man and he blames Leonard Snart.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking of making this a series? I'm calling it The valentine debacle for now because I cannot think of good titles. I do not know where to go from here but if anyone's interested I might write more to this...
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading!


End file.
